Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-15
FISHING IN WISCONSIN.
Scraps of SpOrtsmen's Adventures
In the lakes of the NOrt1 d west.

WYOCENA, Wis, June 15.-It was
before May day that Keifer, my
German friend, and l started out to
"do'' the lakes of Wisconsin as fisher
men, and / have here jotted down
some of the incidents that befell us.
Wyocena was selected as our start
ing point. Arriving here we We're in
formed that it was too early for any
thing but sucker spearing, or pickerel
shooting. The latter phrase caught
us. Pickerel shooting was new idea
to us. OF course we must try it. But
first we would try sucker spearing.
Procuring spears we were piloted to
Duck creek, which we found marrow,
tortuous and willow lined, with deep
pools and rifles. 1t looked rather
dubious for sport, and Keifer shook
his head.
But those black pools literally
swarmed with the great, lubberly fish,
and ere we had gone mile we We're
fairly satiated with slaughter.
"Shonson," said Keifer disgustedly,
81 vas ashamed to call dis feeshing."
| agreed with him and we gave it up.
Next day we tried pickerel shoot
ing. The banks of Duck creek are
very low, and in the spring it over
flows the vast stretch of marsh
through which it wanders. 1t is upon
these water covered marshes that the
pickerel shooting is done.
The great fish swim about in the
shallow water, often with part of
their backs exposed, offering fair
mark.
Armed with our Winchesters, and
provided with long topped rubber
boots, we waded about in search of
our prey. A splash, a gleam of white
as the long fish darts away. Quick
with your gun! Crack Hurrah You
have him!
Candor compels me to confess that
our misses were much more frequent
than our hits; yet, when tired out, we
had half dozen fine pickerel, weigh
ing from six to nine pounds each.
x*w
Being informed that the perfection
of black bass fishing could be found at
Pardee lake, Keifer and l set out to
try our luck. Now, in all the twenty
lakes we had fished in Keifer had
never yet landed II fish of that sort.
1t was a beautiful day, clear and
cool. Not breath of air stirred the
budding foliage of the trees that line
the lake or rippled the cleaning sur
face of the water.
We were trolling, and presently had
splendid luck. In short time several
fine pickerel were Hopping i'm the
bottom of the boat, but as each one
came over the side Keifer would give
Il snort of disgust. He wanted bass.
At length, when the forenoon was
nearly spent and the coveted fish had
not yet gladdened his sight, he ex-
claimed as he drew the glittering decoy
through the placid water;
"Shonson, don't pelieve there ish
Won plack pass in dis water; vat you
tink, eh ?"
/ was securing another noble
pickerel and made no reply. None
was needed, for almost instantly he
cried:
"Mein Gott | haf heem."
| never knew what he did, but the
next moment | was struggling in the
water. Coming to the surface after
my involuntary founders looked for
the boat. 1t was about rod away,
Keifer coolly playing that confounded
"plack pass" utterly unconscious of
the mishap he had caused me. l
struck out for the boat and succeeded
in clambering in. AS it swayed and
tipped under my hand he looked UP
angrily.
"Eef you makes me lose dot feesh !"
he said, menacingly.
The boat was miserable affair, and
easily overturned. An awkward
movement on his part sent it over as
quick as flash. was as wet as l
could be, so did not mind my second
bath. He came to the surface putting
and blowing, and the instant he got
the water out his mouth gasped:
Observation-Disclosures ?"
came near sinking in the paroxyism
of laughter that seized me at his ex-
hibition of the "ruling passion" A
small island was near and we swan
ashore, When recovered my breath
l secured the boat and oars which
fioated near. Keifer sat on the shore,
the picture OF despair, bemoaning the